Seven Years

 7 Years

Dear JoJo, 

Happy 7th birthday. We were cracking 6 7 jokes all this week. You have been such a delight in our family. It was great to celebrate you and your love that you bring into this world. For your birthday, we started the day with donuts and chocolate milk. You opened u a new pink half zip hoodie from me and dad. We got you a birthday sash to wear to school also. You brought cookies to shar with the class. After school, we had all your friends come over for a party. It was a unicorn theme. We played pin the horn on the unicorn, keepie-uppie with the balloons, pass the parcel, and had a pinata. We painted unicorns, opened presents, and ate cupcakes. The weather was still nice so you all were able to run around outside at the end and jump on the trampoline. For dinner, we had BBQ chicken drumsticks with homemade mac-n-cheese and broccoli. The family did presents. Millie gave you a cross over bag for Disneyland, Maggie and Sam gave you this gel animal kit, Grandma and Grandpa Matthews gave you a pen decorating kit, and Dad and I gave you a weighted blanket. We ended the night with molten lava cakes. 

I just love you so much JoJo. It is such a pleasure having you. You are really kind, the prefect amount of sass, you dance hard and sing loud, you love giving others hugs, and you try hard to find ways to help other people. 

Fun moments from this month: watching you do the cheer camp and preform at halftime, having you cartwheel all over the house (you are getting really good), getting a note from your teacher that you and Eloise are being "naughty" during the assembly, and surprising you with getting your ears pierced!

Six.Eleven Years

6.11 Years 

• Live with Louie has been so fun. I love seeing you carry him around like a baby. He is horrible about having accidents and we are working on crate training him, you you all love cuddling him and showing him off to your friends. 
• School is starting. It has been such a fun summer, but you are anxious to start school. You found out that your teacher is Ms. Hand. That is who you really wanted since the other first grade teacher was a new hire. Eloise is in your class and also Tessa the new girl at church. Because you already know Ms. Hand, you feel like you are the queen of the room. 
• We got to start gymnastics this month with Jessie and Sonora. We met in Silverton on Mondays, right after school. I love that you get this weekly catch up with them. You quickly learned your cart wheel, is working on your handstands, and really enjoy the beam work. 
• Grandma and Papa Matthews came out for a few days. They were really busy days, which I felt bad about. We were able to sneak away to the beach for a day because that night, Maggie was cheering for the Stayton vs. Seaside game. The weather turned out to be awesome. We flew kites and jumped in the waves. You had pants on and ended up soaked by the end. I was grateful that I had packed a clean pai for you to change into for the game. We stayed at the arcade, bought candy at a cute shop, and ate calm chowder for dinner. 
• I went to Paris for a week with Grandma and Auntie Annie. There were several mornings where Sam had to help you get ready for school because Dad was already at work. We hired Kayla Webb to come after school so you wouldn't be alone. But by the end of the week, you were missing me and was weepy a bit more. You were happy that I brought home macrons and necklace and hat for you though. 

Six.Ten Years

 6.10 Years

• Oh my word, I have to tell such a funny story. Eloise cam over to play. Millie didn't have a friend over, which usually means that she sneaks into your play date by making up a game and being the leader of it for you and your friend (you actually really like when she gets involved). Well today, Millie wanted to do a spa. I was busy getting yard work done so when she asked me if we had stuff to make a face mask, I really didn't want to stop what I was doing to help her make a mess. I told her I didn't think so but if she found a recipe for one with ingredients that we had, she could make it. Well, 30 minutes later, you and Eloise are laying on your towels on the warm patio with face mask drying. I guess she found stuff. I had you girls wash up before her mom picked up. That night, you took a shower. Lately, I have been checking her hair in the shower to make sure you are washing well. There was still the face mask in your hair. When I started scrubbing it, it would come out. Come to find out, Millie asked Alexa for a face mask recipe and Alexa told her to mix flour and water. That makes a paste (glue) to make a face mask, like a paper mache mask. You had paste all in your hair. Oh my word.
• One of our big summer trips this year was driving down to California to visit Yosemite. On the way down, we stayed a night at Lassen Volcanic National Park. We kayaked around the lake and saw the hot pots. Yosemite was incredible. We camped in the park and rode bikes all over the place. We borrowed a tag along bike so me and you were buddies. It was tippsy at first and you felt like I was going to crash us, but we got the hang of it. We did a very long and hot hike from the top of the canyon al the way back down to our campsite. We saw four waterfalls. You played in each one. The views were incredible. You were getting really tired and complained at the end (which you normally never complain on hikes). I looked in your backpack and see that you hadn't ate your sandwich. Other highlights, was kayaking and swimming down the river, playing at the base of Yosemite falls, and getting ice cream at the lodge. 
• Fun Moments throughout the month: going to Enchanted Forest with cousins, hosting a tea party with the girl cousins, getting all the swag from National Night Out, horse back riding at the Graham's house, and back to school shopping date.
• The last trip of the summer was going to Utah for Meg's wedding.  We had dinner with everyone at Mark's house. Cousins came to Brigham where we went bowling. We were able to go to Classic Waterslide with all the cousins. It was a blast for you. You loved going double on the really fast and twisty slide. The actually wedding day was so fun. They had a soda bar, which you definitely took advantage of. The dancing was great. You and Calvin got to be buddies during all of it. 
• The big highlight of the Utah trip was getting Louie!!! Louie is a mini goldendoodle. He is so tiny. It was a bit crazy bringing him home. He did not like his crate, so we set a timer and everyone took turns holding him for 30 minutes. 

Six.Nine Years

 6.9 Years

• We are loving summer. It has been filled with lots of cousins and friends. We went to Silver Falls with our war. You got to spend a weekend at Grandma's and Jessie's while Dad and I were on Trek. Lots of play dates swimming in the pool. We even tried Turner Lake for the first time. It was great to jump off the dock and a bonus that the water wasn't too cold. We visited the county fair where the Price cousins gave you a tour of their animals. We had a Berry Pass day with the carisol, the Gilbert House, Chic Fila, and bowling.
• Fourth of July ended up being a lot of fun. We went to the Stayton Parade with Grandma, Papa, and Jacob (our friend from church with special needs). We got to see Maggie on the Cheer float, Brother Webb dressed up like an Eagle, and the horse dancing group. You got lots of candy and swag. For dinner that night, we had the Sterlings over (Piper's family), the Hand family (Emily's family), and Grandma and Papa. We had red (strawberry), white (apple) and blue (blueberries) pies and shot off our own fireworks (almost caught the house on fire because the explosion was way bigger than we thought). Then we headed over to the high school to watch their show.
• The Price cousins came into town from Utah. Josh and Calvin stayed with us and we got to see Amelia and Molly's family a lot. We took them to Turner Lake, celebrated June Birthday's at Annie's house, and had a family reunion day at the Forson Ranch. We played yard games, swam in the river, had yummy food, and even had a camp fire. We went to the beach with Josh and went crabbing and got Tillamook ice cream. It was fun having Josh and Calvin for a hole week.

Six.Eight Years

 6.8 Years

• You got to go on the Daddy Daughter backpacking trip. This year, Dad planned it in the Jefferson Wilderness area. There was bush whacking involved, lakes to swim in, lots of hammock, and on the last day you hiked out seven miles. You felt so tough doing it. 
• Uncle Mark and Auntie Kami came out for a quick weekend trip. Dad is running his marathon and Mark was suppose to do it with him, but he hurt his back so he wasn't able to. They joined the cheer squad with us. We went a day early to the beach. Maggie and Sam were busy so we just took you and Millie. We went to the aquarium, swam in the hotel pool, ran around the beach, and of course ate yummy food. Dad did great on his race and you girls loved cheering him on.
• School is wrapping up. You are so sad to say goodbye to Ms. Carlgren. She has been an amazing teacher. They had a kindergarten assembly where you were given your memory book and share your favorite things about kindergarten. Eloise is one of your best friends and you both said that you loved studying the life cycle of the butterfly.
• Millie hosted an end of the year party and since Hazel's big sister is Millie's friend, we included her. You both tagged along on the activities. We played balloon volleyball (which turned into a fight), roasted s'mores, had a craft challenge, and swam in the pool. The next day, Sam had a party where they did the shaving cream fight. There was left over shaving cream, so you were all over that.
• We were able to have Jessie and Sonora for a few days while their parents were busy. We went rock climbing. You were great, but I was surprised that the heights got you a bit nervous. There was this one wall were you could climb up and over it, and it was too much for you.
• We went on our first of many family adventures. We got to go rafting down the Deschutes River for two nights. It was really great. There were several class III rapids and Dad manned the raft perfectly. You love the big ones now, though you will put on quick the drama queen performance beforehand. I had each of you girls bring things to keep you entertained while we were camping. I was thinking a book and maybe a sketch pad. Well, Millie brings the most random things, but boy were they fun for you girls. She brought paint pens so one day, you all painted rocks and left them on the beach for others to find.

Six.Seven Years Old

 6.7 Years Old

Here is the list of favorites from Mother's Day 

My favorite food is: homemade mac-n-cheese
My favorite sport is: hobby horsing
The best show on TV is: Bluey
The coolest person in the world is: mom and dad
My best subject in school is: free choice
I’m really awesome at: math
If I could change my name, it would be: Charlotte
My favorite color is: Pink
When I grow up I want to be: mom
My parents are too strict about: nothing
My favorite song is: Party in the USA
My favorite book is: Pinkiculous 
When we stop for a treat, I get this: ice cream
4 words that describe me are: loving, perfect, flowery, peppery 
When I was little, I used to: take naps
My favorite scripture story is: Parting the Red Sea
My favorite primary/church song is: I Will Walk with Jesus
My favorite game is: Princess Uno
My favorite season is: Summer
The best snack ever is: cupcakes
My favorite superhero is: Wonder woman
The food that makes me want to barf is: mushrooms 
The car I would love to drive when I turn 16 is: a Lamborghini  
My best friends are: Jessie, Macie, Nora, Addy
The cutest girl/boy I know is: Colten
The most memorable day this year was: having lots of friends in summer
If I had one wish it would be: if I see something on TV, it would appear
The best thing that has happened to me this year is: When I had a sleep over at Auntie Annie
One thing I want to learn to do this year is: getting better at writing words
The thing that scares me the most is: when the bedroom lights are pitch dark
One thing I need to work on is: math
If I could go anywhere it would be: France
The most important lesson I’ve learned this year is: no 6 7 at school
If I could meet one person from history it would be: Grandma Peggy

Six.Six Years Old

 6.6 Years Old

• We started off this month with Spring break! We haven't seen the Prices much since Christmas, so it was so good to have lots of cousin time. You went to have a sleep over with Jessie on Friday night. Aunt Janecce took you girls to McDonalds for dinner! You were so excited about that. We celebrated Maggie's birthday on Sunday. You picked out this more sporty cross over bag for her DC trip. Then on Monday, Jessie and Sonora came to our house for a sleep over. The weather was warmer (not by much though) and you all jumped on the trampoline with the sprinklers. There was dress up, barbies, legos, outside time, and a movie night. I included this picture because you have been really wanted to learn to cook. So over Spring Break, I taught you to make ham and cheese roll ups and you sliced the fruit and veggies to go with it. I love how proud of yourself you were. Thursday, we left for the beach as a family. We stayed in Yachats this year. The weather was amazing. The first day was really windy, but it made for the best kite flying day. Those kites were so high in the sky. The place we stayed at had a pool, hot tub, and game room. It was nice to soak in a hot tub in the evening. We ate seafood for dinner and packed our own breakfast and lunch. On Friday, we went down to Seal Rock Beach. That was a great beach. It was a cove, it wasn't windy, and there were tide pools. After eating lunch, we went to the different shops around Waldport and Yachats. We caught the low tide at the Yachats tide pools. We ate at a very nice seafood restaurant. You kids are so great in trying new food. We ended with more pool, hot tub, and eating popcorn while watching Diners, Drive Ins, and Dines. On Saturday, we hiked to Cape Perpetual. On top of the hill, we could see seals/sea lions (though we thought they were whales) playing in the ocean. I really wanted to do the Hobbit trail. It was only a 0.5 mile to the beach. Most of you were tired on hiking, but gave this one to me. The hike, was through these groves that was so fun and beautiful and then you come out to this great beach. You all loved the fluffy sand there. Our last stop was the light house. When we saw that it was another 0.5 mile to the lighthouse, I decided to do it another time. We were trying to hurry home for the Wallace's farewell party. 
• We hosted Easter this year. The weather was great to be outside. Before all the cousins came over, Millie had a volleyball game. On the way home, you girls really wanted to stop at Marilynn Estates for their egg hunt. Maddy and Hadley were there which made it fun. I didn't have your baskets, so you just used grocery sacks. Afterwards, I had you go up to the lady in charge and thank her. She was so touched because you two were the only ones to have thanked her. All the cousins came over for an egg hunt. There are still about 5 eggs hiding in our yard. Since we were celebrating Dad's birthday also, he made brisket and we had potato salad, green salad, rolls, and peach cobbler. It was a great night. Easter this year was on General conference. We got to stay home in our pjs. We did church books this year. I gave you a picture book of the different miracles of Jesus. Later that day, we went for a hike on the trails behind the middle school and put together some baskets for Sandy Morris and Ramona Vangh. That was your favorite. You asked if we could do something like that every year. 
• Life is pretty simple for you. We stopped tumbling after spring break, mainly because your friend stopped and you really just liked doing it with Payton. So now we have been having friends over after school more often. You love going to Millie's volleyball practices because Hadley is there and you two just run around in the upper gym together. It is getting you excited to play volleyball when you are older. We are working on reading another Babysitter club book together. With the weather getting warmer, you love jumping on the trampoline.